strip muting with sheet metal

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

At 10:04 AM 2/26/2007 +0000, you wrote:
>Once again; I would suggest using a piece of angled aluminum - my 
>piece is about 6-7" long, and an inch wide on either side, at a 90 
>degree angle; simply lift the dampers with the pedal, slide the 
>aluminum piece in behind and on top of them, and then with a short 
>ruler of some sort  push the strip down all the way underneath the 
>dampers (which are completely protected from damage by the aluminum 
>strip). You can then remove the aluminum and proceed to tune as you 
>normally would. Sheet metal bent at 90 degrees would work also, of 
>course. The aluminum is nice and light, though, and just the right 
>configuration.
>
>The dampers then work normally, and you can pull out the strip one 
>note (actually two) at a time as you work your way up, unmuting one 
>string on each of the two unisons (so you need to have tuned the 
>center string up in the next unison before you pull the strip, if 
>you're tuning unisons as you go - otherwise, just tune center 
>strings all the way up, and then begin to pull the strip as you tune 
>outside strings to the center strings on the way up).
>
>I then only have to use the rubber mute (with the magnet attached on 
>a string) on unisons that may slip or need touching up afterwards.
>
>I hope this is helpful.
>
>Allen Wright, RPT


If people are wondering where they could get a small piece of sheet 
metal, they should try Home Depot or similar building supply place, 
get a flashing shingle and cut/shape it to the desired size and shape.

I don't use one myself for strip muting, but I have used a chunk as a 
lid on my gluepot.


Conrad Hoffsommer

There comes a time in every man's life and I've had plenty of them.
-Casey Stengel